Midnight Storm Moonless Sky: Indigenous Horror Stories

by Alex Soop, Trent Agecoutay (Narrator), Jules Hobson (Narrator)

Blackfoot storyteller Alex Soop plunges us into a shocking well of imagination in this collection of short stories, Midnight Storm Moonless Sky. From hauntings on the Highway of Tears to fearful gatherings of ghosts and the sorrows of racism, Soop combines the social anxieties of Indigenous life with spellbinding flights and frights of speculative fiction. Through these enthralling stories of reality mixed with terror, listeners get a wicked glimpse into the genre of Indigenous horror.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Indigenous, Audiobook, Fiction, Anthologies, Canada

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some great stories in here, but the writing style isn't quite for me. It just lacked that zest to capture my attention. Still, I can't wait to see what else the author comes out with in the future.

[Luke Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent first collection of stories that shows future promise. None of the stories were bad, I just thought many of them were ok instead of very good. Some, such as "An Unlikely Turn of Events" did not feel like horror, while others such as "Across the Bridge" felt like the fragment of a larger story. I think "A Lively Old Merriment" and "Mr. Knife" were the most effective stories, having both good character-building and storytelling, as well as an effective twist. I did enjoy the integration of Blackfoot tradition and language into the stories, which I felt added a cultural richness to them. I think this author, with some more writing, will likely turn into a very effective horror writer.

[Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soop interweaves North American and indigenous folklore with the everyday, couching them in the guise of eerie campfire tales, stories of haunted highways, sweetheart dates and getaways gone wrong, always with the spectre of the anxieties of life particular to First Nations communities.

Stories do not shy away from topics of suicide; generational trauma from residential schools; drugs and alcohol abuse; sexual abuse; domestic violence; and incarceration. These true life horrors often intersect and mesh with creatures of folklore in Soop’s stories.

A wendigo obliterating a desperate family in the bitter snows of winter or a young boy leaning into darkness to escape a horrific foster family only to find his darkness shadowing him still, analogues of systemic injustices and cruelties can be felt and found throughout Soop’s stories. Sometimes they are seen clearly despite the billowing smoke of arson, and other times they quietly appear at the beginning like something stalking prey through lines of type, as would a predator approach a shortchange fur trader’s cabin.

[Minky Whitmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m excited to see what Soop writes next! This collection of stories does a great job at balancing suspense and supernatural. I also liked how it incorporated contemporary issues affecting indigenous people.
Sometimes the pacing was a tad off, and some stories didn’t fully fit the horror genre in my opinion, but the writing flow was very natural. Also it was so satisfying to see a priest from a residential school end up in a purgatory with an Italian gangster as a guide. That was my favorite story by far!

[Theo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t much of a horror novel. It’s more like when you’re around the campfire, and someone says “Hey, let me tell you think creepy story. It totally happened to my uncle’s friend’s cousin.” It isn’t really that creepy, a prime example of something that is only interesting if true, but just as a story, it isn’t that compelling.

I get the impression from the intro that this is sort of intended. But I don’t think it translated from oral to written very well.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories from an Indigenous point of view. A very hit and miss selection but there is alot here to catch your attention. There is alot of promise as to what Alex Soop can do going forward.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of intriguing horror stories. I found some more captivating than others, but a fantastic read nonetheless. I hope to see more from this author in the future. This book definitely garnered my interest in reading more indigenous horror!

[Dennis Gerwing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag ... as many short story collections are ... especially from a young, new writer.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories with an Indigenous twist. Not exactly what I would consider "horror" but interesting nonetheless. Looking forward to more writing from Alex Soop.

[Lady Daydreaming]

Dnf

[Rya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of the 9 stories only 2, maybe 3 stood out to me. The others were ok but 1 I didn’t finish. :/

[David Bennett Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Cormac Macabre · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could be 100 pages shorter without taking anything important away from the stories. Also, it's not exactly horror.

[Ebby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the reveal was at the absolute very end of each story. The stories were interesting, but not super creepy

[Kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 hours

[Lee Holodney · Rating 3 out of 5]

gentle horror

[Jamie Zaccaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, spooky and speculative story of stories from a wonderful Indigenous author.

[Nicky-Jo Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indigenous folklore and haunted stories. Mostly drug or alcohol induced blackouts but understandable given the circumstances. Always good to broaden our horizons and learn about other cultures.

[Shinyfluff · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good collection of chilling tales mixed between urban stories and rural ones. My personal favorite was The Wail of the Wind. horrifying, atmospheric,tragic and chilling

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook narrator was not for me. I might give this a better rating after reading Soop's other books.

[Jolynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good set of stories ranging from that ghost at the end of a long lonely highway to a pedophile priest getting their just deserts and vampires.